Having your LinkedIn company page rank high in Google search results is crucial for building brand awareness and driving traffic to your LinkedIn presence. However, many businesses find that their LinkedIn page is buried in the search results or not showing up at all. There are a few key reasons why your LinkedIn company page may not be ranking on Google.
Your Page is New or Lacks Content
Google needs time to crawl and index new pages. If you just created your LinkedIn company page, it may take a few weeks for it to start ranking. Additionally, Google favors pages with substantial, high-quality content. Thin pages with little text and content will struggle to rank well. Ensure your LinkedIn page is completely filled out with detailed descriptions of your products/services, customer testimonials, employee bios, and other engaging content.
Issues with Page Speed and Mobile Optimization
Slow page load times and poor mobile optimization are huge ranking factors for Google. Use Google PageSpeed Insights and Google Mobile-Friendly tests to analyze your LinkedIn page. Optimize images, enable caching, minify CSS/JS files, and implement other page speed best practices. Also, ensure your page is mobile-friendly and easy to use on smartphones.
Problems with Technical SEO
Technical SEO issues like broken links, thin or duplicate content, and metadata problems can negatively impact rankings. Audit your page’s HTML markup, internal linking structure, metadata, structured data, and URL parameters. Fix any errors or issues that may be problematic for search engines.
Lack of Quality Backlinks
Google cares a lot about the number and authority of sites that link back to a page. Pages with more backlinks from reputable industry websites tend to rank higher. Build an outreach campaign to earn backlinks to your LinkedIn page from relevant sites. Prioritize contextual links from trusted industry resources.
Not Optimized for Industry Keywords
If your LinkedIn page is not targeting and optimizing for keywords potential customers are searching for, it will struggle to rank for those terms. Do keyword research to identify high-volume, low-difficulty keywords related to your business and industry. Optimize your page content, titles, descriptions, headings, and backlinks around those terms.
Issues With Your LinkedIn Company Profile
Problems with your overall LinkedIn Company Profile can also prevent your page from ranking well. Ensure your business name, industry, description, logo, products/services, and other profile information is fully completed. The more complete your profile is, the better chance it has to rank in LinkedIn and Google.
Too Much Competition for Keywords
Certain keywords may simply have too much competition for your new LinkedIn page to rank for right away. Consider optimizing for more long-tail, low competition keywords that are more niche and specific to your business. Over time as your page authority grows, you can target more difficult mainstream keywords.
LinkedIn Company Pages Aren’t Prioritized by Google
Google has historically prioritized individual LinkedIn profile pages over Company Pages in rankings. This means Company Pages tend to require more work to rank. One tactic is to heavily optimize your employees’ individual profiles and link to the Company Page from there.
You Need a More Comprehensive SEO Strategy
An unoptimized LinkedIn Company Page on its own is unlikely to rank well. A larger integrated SEO strategy across your website, blog, and other assets is needed. Build an authoritative website, earn backlinks, create content around keywords, and leverage your LinkedIn presence as part of that broader strategy.
How to Improve Your LinkedIn Company Page Rankings
Here are some best practices to improve your LinkedIn page’s visibility in search engines:
- Complete your entire Company Profile – 100% is ideal
- Include detailed descriptions, media, testimonials, employee bios, and other rich content
- Optimize titles, descriptions, and content for relevant industry keywords
- Ensure excellent page speed and mobile optimization
- Fix any technical SEO issues like broken links or metadata problems
- Build high-quality backlinks from trusted sites to your page
- Encourage employees to link to your Company Page from their Profiles
- Create an active Company Page publishing strategy
- Engage your followers and grow your LinkedIn audience
- Integrate your page into a broader website SEO strategy
Typical Timeframe to See Results
It takes time for LinkedIn Company Pages to start ranking in Google. Here are general timeframes you can expect:
- 1-2 months to see initial rankings for easy, low competition keywords
- 3-6 months to see significant search visibility for your core keywords
- 6-12 months to rank for high difficulty, high traffic keywords
SEO is an ongoing process, but with consistent, high-quality effort, your LinkedIn Company Page can absolutely gain visibility in Google over time.
Advanced Tactics to Improve Rankings
Some additional advanced tactics to improve LinkedIn Company Page SEO include:
- Getting partners or suppliers to link to your page
- Interlinking between your website and LinkedIn page
- Publishing job listings to drive relevant traffic
- Sponsoring or contributing expert content to LinkedIn
- Leveraging LinkedIn’s retargeting pixel
- Adding structured markup like Organization Schema
- Optimizing your Sponsored Content campaigns
- Analyzing Google Search Console and LinkedIn Insights data
- Building an employee advocacy program to share your page
Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some key mistakes that can hurt your LinkedIn Company Page visibility:
- keyword stuffing
- thin, low-value content
- spammy internal linking
- fake or questionable backlinks
- copying content from other sites
- poor page speed optimization
- non-mobile friendly design
- technical errors like 404s
- incomplete Company Profile information
- not enough engagement with followers
Should You Consider Paid Advertising?
In highly competitive markets, paid advertising may be needed to kickstart your LinkedIn SEO strategy. Options like LinkedIn Sponsored Content and Sponsored InMail can quickly drive targeted traffic to your page. This helps build initial awareness, followers, engagement, and backlinks. Use pay-per-click ads in conjunction with organic SEO for the best results.
Pros and Cons of LinkedIn Company Pages for SEO
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Established domain authority | Lower priority than individual profiles |
Credibility of LinkedIn platform | Self-contained ecosystem, hard to build external links |
Additional content formats like employee bios | Less keyword volume than standard Google search |
Ability to optimize for industry keywords | Challenging to differentiate in competitive industries |
Engage a professional audience | Slow crawler impacting time to rank |
Key Takeaways and Recommendations
Here are some key tips to summarize how to optimize your LinkedIn Company Page for Google:
- Complete your full Company Profile and publish regular content
- Leverage unique LinkedIn content like employee spotlights
- Optimize for both LinkedIn and Google with keywords
- Build backlinks from reputable sites
- Focus on page speed, technical SEO, and mobile optimization
- Be patient and persistent with ongoing optimization
- Consider paid advertising to accelerate results
- Integrate with your broader SEO and content strategy
With a comprehensive approach, your LinkedIn Company Page can absolutely gain visibility and traction in Google search results over time. The combination of optimization and consistency is key for success.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for a LinkedIn Company Page to rank in Google?
It typically takes at least 3-6 months for a Company Page to start ranking for moderate competition keywords. High traffic, competitive terms can take 6-12+ months. SEO is an ongoing process, but consistent optimization will drive increasing visibility.
Can I rank my LinkedIn page without many backlinks?
It is challenging to rank a Company Page with very few high-quality backlinks. Earning links from industry websites, directories, profiles, and resources is critical for signalling authority to Google.
What is the #1 ranking factor for LinkedIn pages?
The most important ranking factors are on-page optimization around specific keywords, followed by total Company Profile completion and authority. Getting links and engagement also significantly boosts rankings.
Should I publish regular content to my LinkedIn page?
Yes, publishing frequent, high-quality content is hugely impactful for both LinkedIn search and Google. Well-optimized posts boost your relevance for industry keywords. Use a mix of articles, infographics, videos, and other media.
How can employees help optimize my Company Page?
Encourage employees to link to your Company Page in their Profiles. Have them follow, share, and engage with your page content. Consider an employee advocacy program to maximize outreach from staff.
Conclusion
Gaining visibility in Google search is crucial for driving traffic to your LinkedIn Company Page. With the right content, optimization, links, and persistence, your page can absolutely rank well in Google. Focus on completeting your full Company Profile, optimizing for industry keywords, building backlinks from trusted sites, and staying patient with ongoing SEO efforts for success.
Integrate your LinkedIn presence into your broader website SEO strategy. Use paid ads if needed for an initial boost. Stay up to date with Google and LinkedIn algorithm changes. Consider tracking your page’s performance with tools like Google Search Console and LinkedIn Insights.
With the right comprehensive approach, your LinkedIn Company Page can become a significant source of targeted organic traffic, leads, and brand awareness through Google search.